Aeroplane



J. H. REA. AEROPLANE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I7. 192|.

PatentedNov. 29, 1921. l

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JONATHAN H. REA, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

AEROPLANE.

.Application led January 17, 1921.

., T 0 all whom it may concern:

Bel it known that I, JONATHAN H. REA, at

citizen of the United States, residin Omaha, in the county of Douglas and tate of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes', of which the following is a. specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes or aircraft, and has for an object to provide an arrangement of supporting planes that will act in the capacity of a parachute should the motor become stalled while in the air.

It is another object of the invention to provide improved driving and lifting propellers arranged to be driven from a common source of power through independent connections arranged to be individually controlled.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved running gear having an upwardly curved guard extending in advance of such running gear for encountering the ground when the aeroplane is landing tb avoid the digging in of the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construc- .tion of areoplane having its parts compactly grouped together.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will bemore fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation with a portion broken away of an aeroplane constructed in accordance withthe present inventiong' Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 and 6 designate a pair of sustaining planes constructed/ in any suitable approved fashion and being of the required area to support the necessary load. These planes 5 and 6 are arranged in a peculiar formation as disclosed more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3. The planes at their upper ends converge and meet forming a substantially acute angle and providing a space within the planes open at both front and rear ends for receiving the air which reacts on the in- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented NOV. 29, 1921.

Serial N0. 438,042. i

terior surfaces of theplanes 5 and 6 to sup port the aircraft.

A number of braces 7 are disposed diagonally of the aeroplane at the base of the planes 5 and 6 and are used to connect and hold apart the lower divergent ends of such planes. The planes and braces are held upon a suitable running gear which is made up 1n the instance shown of front supporting ground wheels 8 connected by rods 9 tnd 10 withthe bottom portion of the fuseage.

A guard 11 extends between the two front wheels 8 and has an upwardly curved end carried in advance of the running gear and at a low elevation so as to encounter the ground especially in landing to avoid the digging in of the aeroplane. A bracevrod 12 is connected betweenv the guard 1 1 and the rod 9. At the rear the aeroplane is supported upon a caster wheel 13 held in a fork 14 which is swivelly mounted at the base of the aeroplane.

A. motor 15is installed on the braces held substantially amidships and at a low level in order to maintain the weight at `a low point and lower .the center of gravity as much as practicable. The motor 15 is provided with shafts 16 and 17 projecting from both ends thereof and entering transmission boxes 18 and 19 respectively.

Gear shift levers 20 and 21l control the transmission gears within the boxes 18 and 19. The transmission box 19 is arranged in connection with a drive shaft 22 extending forwardly and carrying a pulley 23 engaged by a belt 24 which also runs over an upper pulle'y 25 on the shaft 26 of the driving propeller 27. This driving propeller 27 is supported forwardly of the space between vthe planes 5 and 6 and acts as a traction propeller dra-wing the plane forwardly in a horizontal direction.

The other clutch box 18 is connected to a drive shaft 28 having a pinion 29 meshing with a second pinion 30 on avertically disposed sha-ft 31. A pulley 32 near the upper end of the shaft 31 connects witha belt 33 turning a pulley 34 on a second vertical shaft 35 carried thereby. This latter shaft extends upwardly through the aeroplane and carries a liftinor propeller or helicopter 36.

' A rudder 37 1s mounted at the rear of the aeroplane and is controlled by a hand wheel 38 and by a cable 39 moved by such hand wheel 38. Elevators 40 are also supported at the rear end of the aeroplane and are controlled by. a hand wheel 41 which operates a l cable 42 connected at opposite ends to arms.

posed close together and near the.lever 21'4 so that the controlling parts are compactly assembled and may be easily manipulated from the space'within the planes -5 and 6, l

Should the engine 15 become stalled while in the air the triangular space within the planes 5 and 6 will form a pocket for the air and will have a sustaining effect similar to a parachute so as to break the fall of the aeroplane.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of the variousparts,

andobviously changes could be made in the construction herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, it n being only necessary that such changes fall withinthe scope of the appended clalms.

What is claimed is:

` 1. An aeroplane comprising a pair of cooperating planes runninglongitudinally of the aeroplane and having their upper ends secured close together at a substantially acute angle and parallel with the-longitudlnal axis of the aeroplane, said planes dive ing downwardly, the lower edges of -suc planes lying at the outermost sides of the aeroplane, said planes providin a substantially triangular space therewit 'n open at i'ts front and rear ends and also at its bottom, braces extending in spaced relation transversely across the bottom of said space and secured to the lower divergent edges of said planes, a propeller forwardly of said planes and directly in front of the space between said planes, steering mechanism oppo# site of the space between said planes and directly in rear of such space to receive air currents passing therethrough, and a horizontally turning helicopter propeller lying above the central portions of the planes and adapted to direct streams of air downwardly on the opposite divergent-surfaces of the planes. v

2. .An aeroplane comprising a pair of planes secured together at their upper edges at a substantially acute angle and extending longitudinally oft-he aeroplane with their lower edges arranged at the outermost sides of the `aeroplane whereby said planes are disposed in triangular divergent relation having a substantially triangular space therewithin, transverse braces extending in spaced relation between the lower edges of said planes, running gears supporting said planes, atractor propeller at the front of the aeroplane directly in advance of the space within said planes, steering and elevating apparatus directly in rear of .the space between said planes, a horizontally turning helicopter propellersupported above the meeting tops o said planes, and a power plant supported within the space between 'zoy Lsaid planes and having connection to drive said tractor propeller: and helicopter.-

' In testimony whereof, I have allixed my signature in presence of two witnesses. 1 JONATHAN .H. REA.

Witnesses: I

ARTHUR H. STURGES, Hman A. Strollers. 

